The fascination and popularity of Max Verstappen continued to grow globally over the past year. His father, Jos, understands why. “Max is down-to-earth, just himself, and very normal,” he says.
Last summer, a costly change of guard was needed to get Red Bull Racing, a successful Formula 1 participant and Max Verstappen’s employer for eleven years, back on track. After Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior in early 2024, with all the accompanying publicity, the Austrian top brass of the energy drink company intervened a year and a half later. Exit Horner, after twenty years of service. He was succeeded by Laurent Mekies.
– Jos, why is it working out now?
“Laurent is proactive, a team boss who consults well with his engineers and asks the right questions. Laurent challenges the engineers. In addition, there’s what Max did in Monza. He said there: ‘We need to push harder, seek the limit more.’ Max now not only has a listening ear, but also a team boss who helps him find performance. I recently read an article where Max said: It feels like a family again. Before, it was falling apart, so to speak. Now we all take each other by the arm and go full throttle.”
‘Feeling is completely different now’
– That must also please you.
“I talk to Laurent occasionally, but I don’t want to interfere too much. I’m here (in Singapore, ed) as a father. But I see what he’s working on, let him do his thing. The feeling is completely different now, it feels as it should. I didn’t have that at all in the last two years and I said so at the time, yes. You could tell from the team, from Max that the feeling was different. Now Max is happy, things are going really well.”
Do you notice the return of laughter among the mechanics and his race engineer GP Lambiase?
“I must say, that has always been the case with the mechanics and GP. I notice it more among the people who are now in charge: It’s fun, pleasant, we laugh and have a good time.”
Max being Red Bull’s most valuable asset makes things ‘somewhat easier’.
“Without Max Verstappen, this wouldn’t have been possible. You can also take a different position. I think Red Bull’s leadership ultimately made a well-considered decision, they also felt that things were not going in the right direction. And you don’t want to lose your best driver, that’s for sure.”
Max really had to fight for it
Many young drivers look up to Max. Do you enjoy seeing that?
“I think Max is popular among most drivers, you see that with guys like Bortoleto and Antonelli. How great is it for such young drivers to get a pat on the back and some help from someone who has experience and knows how it’s done? Max really makes no distinction. He himself did not get that kind of support when he started. A bit from Fernando Alonso, otherwise Max really had to fight for it. But we don’t mind that at all: it’s part of what makes him as good as he is now.”
Has fatherhood influenced Max in any way, according to you?
“I don’t think so. He has everything sorted at home, it feels complete. He loves being a father. But when he has to drive, he drives. Everything else has to give way. But of course, I hear all the stories about the little one and see the photos… You can tell that Max is a super sweet guy. Privately, he is so pleasant and kind.”
I think the perception of him worldwide is very different nowadays.
“Some media have portrayed Max in a not so nice way in the past, while he is not like that at all. Now people see that they were wrong. I’ll tell you honestly: that story with Chris Harris (the British journalist had a candid conversation with Verstappen in a Ford Mustang) was great. Then people saw a bit better what Max is really like. Then he went to get his racing license in the regular way at the Nürburgring and people think: ‘Hey, he’s fun and sociable’. People now think differently about Max.”
You’ve seen him on the Nürburgring in the GT3. You often rent a circuit for a relaxed day of racing.
“We do it for fun and enjoyment. When we drive together, you can see how good Max Verstappen is. I drove until I was about 33 years old. Then I did a bit of A1GP and Le Mans and then didn’t drive for a long time because I was busy with Max. I thought I could drive a bit, but then Max joins in those GT3s and I think: What’s happening here? Then you just chalk it up to not having driven for a long time, getting older and so on… But it’s something unbelievable.”
‘I’m not even close’
You can’t match him, I presume.
“I’m not even close, haha. When people say: You should do Le Mans with Max, they immediately think I’m a fool. Maybe I am, but I never had that idea… I was talking with Nelson (Valkenburg from Viaplay). He told me that Jeroen (Bleekemolen) was sitting next to him watching when Max drove that race on the Nürburgring. He was watching with his mouth open, didn’t understand it at all. You only realize how good Max is when you drive with him. He does it in such a natural, relaxed way that you start doubting yourself. That’s also what happens here, at Red Bull. Drivers come in full of confidence, but as the season progresses you see them mentally crumble. Because you keep asking yourself: How does he do that, how does he do that? That’s all you’re busy with. And at some point, you don’t understand it anymore. I really believe that drivers don’t dare to come here because of Max. If you think about it: it’s madness that you’re ‘too good’…”
Speaking of GT3: Max’s involvement with his racing team is significant.
“He enjoys it, sees it as a challenge to give young men a chance. Besides Formula 1, that’s his thing. And he wants to do it well, everything has to be perfect. Just like in Formula 1. Look, don’t forget: Max was told from a young age, do this, do that. There was always someone above him telling him what to do. Now he has something, his thing, his toy and he decides how he wants to do it. You have to let him go his own way. He says how he wants it and that’s how it’s going to happen. He has some right to speak, I think. I think it’s great and appreciate how involved he is with his racing team.”
A Proud Father Speaks
“Max continues to show how special he is. And he remains a sweetheart. I sincerely mean that. Max is very pleasant company. And you know what’s most important: he keeps his feet on the ground. When Max walks into the paddock, he still greets those who were there for him ten years ago. Believe me, there are people who walk through the paddock very differently… Max is just himself and very normal.”
What Will the Sport Do If He Decides to Retire?
“Ask Stefano (Domenicali, editor’s note), haha. I don’t know. People are now realizing how special Max is, partly thanks to him, Formula 1 has gained a bit more life this season. Because without Max, the championship would be a bit duller. Now it has something extra, because Max is involved. You see that with other teams too: They don’t take Red Bull into account, they take Max into account.”
‘I Knew Max Was Very Good’
Could You Ever Have Imagined Your Son Was Capable of This When You Started His Racing Education?
“I knew he was very good. But what he’s doing, the position he’s in now and what he’s causing: No, never thought. People just trust that he won’t make mistakes. It’s just incredible, I find it a pleasure to watch him. I myself am sometimes surprised: ‘What’s happening here, how does he do that?’ He still surprises me.”
Finally, What Was Your Favorite Moment This Season?
“Actually, the moment Max called me from Monza and said: ‘Dad, I think we’ve found the problem’. The enthusiasm I sensed then… I heard it directly from him.”
